Kebbi State government, United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, and Global Affairs Canada, GAC, are partnering to improve health indices, especially primary healthcare and community system in Kebbi.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Yunusa Musa-Ismail, made this known at a two-day engagement meeting in Birnin Kebbi, yesterday.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the meeting was organised by UNICEF, funded by Global Affairs Canada, to enhance access to gender-responsive sexual and reproductive health, maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition services.
Musa-Ismail said government had appreciated GAC for selecting Kebbi as one of the three states to benefit from the initiative.
He said “I assure you that we will do everything humanly possible to support and promote healthcare at all levels.
“The state government provided facilities to 14 healthcare centres last year, as the 500 health workers recruited would be trained to ensure maximum benefit and effective service delivery.”
He reaffirmed government’s commitment to ensure a successful implementation of the intervention, adding that it would develop templates.
The commissioner urged the participants to carefully study the plan to avoid making mistakes and ensure strict compliance to achieve the objectives.
Earlier, the Chief Field Officer, Sokoto Field Office of UNICEF, Mr Michael Juma said the health indicators in the state require a lot of rethink.
He added that nutrition, which is critical for child development, remains high, with early marriage also high.
According to him, the delivery of healthcare in the 21st century is not what it used to be, saying there is the need for a paradigm shift.
He said “we are, therefore, targeting more than 2.6 million women and children across Kebbi, Bauchi and Kaduna States, in an initiative to address the challenges of adolescent pregnancy, malnutrition and anemia.
“The initiative seeks to empower women and adolescents to claim their health rights and increase accountability in service delivery.”
He described the programme as a demonstration of Kebbi’s commitment to ensure equitable and quality healthcare for the people NAN
